Martin hired by Kalamazoo, becomes second Black coach currently in ECHL

Joel Martin was hired as coach of Kalamazoo of the ECHL on Monday, becoming the second current Black coach of a North American men's professional hockey team.

The 39-year-old, who was also named the director of hockey operations, had been the assistant and goaltending coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets affiliate for the past three seasons. He replaces Nick Bootland, who was hired as an assistant for Hershey, the Washington Capitals' American Hockey League affiliate, on Aug. 11.
Martin thanked Kalamazoo owners Bill Johnston and Ronda Stryker for "entrusting me with the opportunity to lead this historic franchise."
"[This] is a dream come true, and for that I'd like to thank the Johnston-Stryker family," he said. "My focus is developing young leaders and competing for a championship, because that's what our fanbase deserves."

Prior to being hired as an assistant in 2018, Martin played 15 professional seasons as a goaltender, including nine with Kalamazoo teams that competed in the ECHL, United Hockey League and International Hockey League.
Martin, who was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame on Jan. 18, ranks second among goalies in league history with 22,962 minutes played, third with 394 appearances, and fourth with 199 wins. He's also the only goaltender to have at least three seasons with 30 or more wins.
"Joel's vast experience as a professional hockey player, combined with his ability to teach and lead, will deliver excellence to our entire organization," Johnston said.
"Joel has a detailed championship plan, and we are excited to watch it unfold."
Martin joins Jason Payne as the only Black coaches leading professional teams in North America. Payne was promoted from assistant to head coach of Cincinnati, the Buffalo Sabres' ECHL affiliate, on Aug. 31, 2021, and in his first season, he led the Cyclones to a 36-32-3-1 record before losing in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

When Kalamazoo plays Cincinnati on Oct. 26, it will be the first time in ECHL history that two Black coaches will have faced each other.
Both Martin and Payne are members of the NHL Coaches' Association's BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) program, an initiative that aims to support coaches in several areas, including skills development, leadership strategies, communication tactics, and networking. Martin also participated in the Boston Bruins' Diversity and Inclusion Scouting Mentorship Program last season.
"Joel's been a valued member since the (NHLCA) program's inception in 2020, and we're thrilled for Joel to have earned this opportunity as the next head coach of Kalamazoo," NHLCA president Lindsay Artkin said. "It's incredibly encouraging to see an increase in the number of BIPOC coaches being hired at the men's professional level. It clearly demonstrates that BIPOC coaches are getting more opportunities to network with those making the hiring decisions, as well as an overall shift in the culture around hiring."

Martin is the seventh Black coach in the history of men's professional hockey.
He joins Dirk Graham, who became the NHL's first Black coach when he led the Chicago Blackhawks for 59 games in 1998-99, and John Paris Jr., who was the first to lead a professional team to a championship when Atlanta of the IHL won the Turner Cup in 1994.
The others are Shawn Wheeler (Charlotte, ECHL, 1998-2000), Graeme Townshend (Macon, Central Hockey League 1999-2001; Greensboro, ECHL, 2001-02), and Leo Thomas (Macon, Southern Professional Hockey League, 2018-19).
Mark Joslin was named coach of the Toronto Six of the Premier Hockey Federation, the women's professional league, on June 11, 2021.
Martin's hiring as the director of hockey operations is also the latest by a Black person in key management positions in professional hockey.
The San Jose Sharks hired former NHL forward Mike Grier as the first Black general manager in League history on July 5. That came after the Tampa Bay Lightning hired Mark Pitts, a former Coca-Cola Beverages Florida executive, as their chief operating officer on Dec. 17, 2021.
Before that, the Los Angeles Kings named former Western Hockey League forward Vukie Mpofu as manager of hockey operations and legal affairs on May 28, 2021, and the Florida Panthers hired former hockey agent Brett Peterson as assistant general manager on Nov. 17, 2020.